The Worst Xpac Ever Made

[Elestia]

I think each xpac stands on its own. For what WoD attempted to offer which was improved quest flow, aesthetically pleasing and interesting dungeons, challenging raids with memorable fights, improved PvP experience and garrison interest, it was very successful. However, like Cata it had major content cuts - which are extremely extremely extremely disappointing to the fans of lore or even casuals looking for a new zone to run around in. The quest story was fantastic - but in end game did not and has not followed through conclusively except through the Legendary quest and Garrison questline, which while logical choices, there wasn't enough there.

Garrisons though. Followers once max level and max gear really have no purpose - which is just an awful awful way to reward the time spent putting into them. Granted for a time there was a strong reward system in place, which got nerfed which deflated the enthusiasm people actually using /enjoying the feature might have had for the sake of people uncompelled to do anything at all. Gradually garrisons became a steadily uncompelling irrelevant 'bonus' for everyone rather than a strong story telling end game reward and feature that enhanced pvp and pve.

Let's not mention the utter lack of customization and profession failures either. Taking the old profession system which didn't care when or how you got about your crafting and chaining it to hourly cooldowns for a unit rate of production was completely and utterly asinine. The reasoning behind this control scheme isn't known. Perhaps to weed out hacks, perhaps to stabilize prices on large servers. The economic effect was a huge kick in the pants for small servers however, where fewer players meant rarer materials, less production, less resources, high prices with marginal ability to pay, nevermind the natural discrepancies between professions themselves.

As for the lack of customization... even while I and many players knew there would be no racial architecture (huge let down - the generic horde-ally shit was old back in WRATH) what was worse was the pure irrelevance of faction colors and guards for exalted city reps and ebon blade. To work so hard to unlock something for two sticks, two banners and a partial complement of mismatched guards, half of which roam around endlessly and not at their stations was such a huge shit that I initially thought there had been a mistake or needed to reboot or then a server restart. When none of those things did anything I was horrified and stunned at the poor poor poor level of thought, planning and laziness that had gone into making something that should have been special and interesting but instead took a shit on it instead.


TL;DR:

Effectiveness of following through with core goals and changes: A-
End Game PvE: B+
End Game PvP: C+
Following through with making WoW a special and personal experience: A (for questing) C (for some endgame story) F (for skipped content, incomplete arcs and story) F for garrison endgame and experience; D
Following through with meaningful rewards for all alternative content, including garrisons: F

Overall: C ... It passes. Some things like raiding were quality. The game was successful in offering core changes. I'd like to think, like Cata, this had the potential to be the best expansion, offered too much, promised too much and dropped the ball in a big way on multiple levels with the little things that ACTUALLY mattered.

[SirCowdog]

From a purely numerical standpoint, WoD is clearly the worst. Less of everything: dungeons, raids, major content patches, amount of content. No new class or race or profession(although an argument can be made for garrisons taking that spot). And the entire controversy of removing flight.

All of that while being charged more for the expansion.

I do not believe there's an argument, based on facts, that can be made for any expansion being worse than WoD. Opinion, on the other hand....well, there's no accounting for personal tastes.

[draykorinee]

From a purely numerical standpoint, WoW is clearly the worst.lesson everything: dungeons, raids, major content patches, amount of content. No new class or race or profession(although an argument can be made for garrisons taking that spot). And the entire controversy of removing flight.

All of that while being charged more for the expansion.

I do not believe there's an argument, based on facts, that can be made for any expansion being worse than WoW. Opinion, on the other hand....well, there's no accounting for personal tastes.

Did you mean WoD?

[Deleted]

I started in WoD so I don't think its that bad, but MoP.. omg, I would have quit without even reaching leveling 90 or what was the cap back then. It seemed like a bunch of Asian kung fu panda boredom with floaty serpent dragons and Asian architecture. I got into fantasy by reading Hobbit and watching LotR movies as a child so no interest in that kind of stuff.

[lolbubble]

LOLOLOLOL wod has more votes THAN THE OTHER CHOICES COMBINED...well deserved too. WoD was such an embarrassment, and looks like new content is nowhere to be seen.

Absolutely cant wait for q3 then q4's numbers.

[Ramz]

I started in WoD so I don't think its that bad, but MoP.. omg, I would have quit without even reaching leveling 90 or what was the cap back then. It seemed like a bunch of Asian kung fu panda boredom with floaty serpent dragons and Asian architecture. I got into fantasy by reading Hobbit and watching LotR movies as a child so no interest in that kind of stuff.

You seems to have very limited understanding of fantasy. Pandaren has as much place in WoW as Tauren, Trolls and Nelves who are also based on exotic cultures, and nelves also have lots of Korean/japanese influence.

[Deleted]

I started in WoD so I don't think its that bad, but MoP.. omg, I would have quit without even reaching leveling 90 or what was the cap back then. It seemed like a bunch of Asian kung fu panda boredom with floaty serpent dragons and Asian architecture. I got into fantasy by reading Hobbit and watching LotR movies as a child so no interest in that kind of stuff.

But you didn't play MoP, so there's really no basis to judge something you haven't tried.

[Deleted]

Wrath was the worsterest by far. The lich king was a pussy! And we just basically invaded icecrown, set up a tavern and played a few dick measuring games on his turf by hosting a tournement. He was no threat to us...

[SirCowdog]

I started in WoD so I don't think its that bad, but MoP.. omg, I would have quit without even reaching leveling 90 or what was the cap back then. It seemed like a bunch of Asian kung fu panda boredom with floaty serpent dragons and Asian architecture. I got into fantasy by reading Hobbit and watching LotR movies as a child so no interest in that kind of stuff.

You should consider that there's a difference between what you subjectively have a taste for, and what objectively makes an expansion 'good'. Technically speaking MoP was actually an improvement over the previous expansions(arguments for WotLK aside). The only really BAD part, objectively, about MoP was the 14 months of SoO, and possibly the over-use of reputation grinds.

[xStevooo]

WOD, by far.

Don't even bother trying to sugar-coat anything going on at Blizzard, they have become so lazy, uncreative and downright insulting to the poor lovers of WoW it's unreal.

I didn't even see through a week, and I was bored shitless - this is after I skipped almost the entirety of MoP.
Many factors come together for most people so in my judgement I appreciate the fact I grew away from WoW, have different interests, enjoy new things etc etc.

However, don't even attempt to throw that in another players face and make them feel like its their fault, if you have any form of standards, expectations or hope that this game can return to any decent state then you would be furious at the direction the game has gone.

I'm glad I quit in Cata, and even the most addicted of friends I had - who loved their pixel 'til the end, are a mere shadow in the existence of WoW.

And it's sad to see.

I play Android games with more flair and creativity than what's on offer in menucraft.

[A dot Ham]

I believe they always had flying in mind as an option. Had they not, they'd have cut corners on world design in Draenor.

I think the "there's no flying" was an attempt to get people to experience the world content on the ground, rather than go "screw it, I'll wait for flying to come along." I am sure the devs are evaluated, at least in part, on how much usage their content gets.

As for the insults... well, you make bogus statements, so of course I will come down on you. Don't want to be insulted for that? Don't engage in the behavior that merits insult. I don't suffer fools gladly.

But you have no problem quoting one... twice...

They did cut corners... which is why it took so long for them to implement. The top down environment is largely underdeveloped still, visually unappealing similar to what we saw in cataclysm when we got flying in the 'old world' they didn't do much more than smooth over holes and add texture. Comparing it to BC and WotLK, even MoP where the world was designed and developed from the sky down, instead of just a ground PoV.

Bogus statements... my claims are at least based on something more than an opinion. I still don't see anything to back up your opinion.

All you have done is reiterate your opinion and attempted to insult again.

"Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong." - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

[Osmeric]

Bogus statements... my claims are at least based on something more than an opinion. I still don't see anything to back up your opinion.

You mean, the "swearing up and down"? Yeah, technically that's not based on an opinion, since it's an outright lie.

[wariofan1]

I started in WoD so I don't think its that bad, but MoP.. omg, I would have quit without even reaching leveling 90 or what was the cap back then. It seemed like a bunch of Asian kung fu panda boredom with floaty serpent dragons and Asian architecture. I got into fantasy by reading Hobbit and watching LotR movies as a child so no interest in that kind of stuff.

That's how most people felt it'd be like before it launched, me included, but despite that it actually ended up being my favorite expansion, and I've played all iterations of WoW except Alpha and Beta mind you so that's not said lightly. It's odd, the two times I've actually had very high hopes for expansions they've severely dissapointed me (Wrath and Cata), but the one time I actually predicted an expansion to suck it was amazing, maybe I should just stay pessimistic .

[Deleted]

Not if you prefer to make accusatory statements from a basis of ignorance.



I believe they always had flying in mind as an option. Had they not, they'd have cut corners on world design in Draenor.

I think the "there's no flying" was an attempt to get people to experience the world content on the ground, rather than go "screw it, I'll wait for flying to come along." I am sure the devs are evaluated, at least in part, on how much usage their content gets.

As for the insults... well, you make bogus statements, so of course I will come down on you. Don't want to be insulted for that? Don't engage in the behavior that merits insult. I don't suffer fools gladly.

What you think doesn't really matter. They said "We're not going to be reintroducing the ability to fly in Draenor". That is a clear statement stating that they wont be introducing flight. I fail to see how you can interpret it any other way.

[A dot Ham]

You mean, the "swearing up and down"? Yeah, technically that's not based on an opinion, since it's an outright lie.

Here we go again... you've now circled back to nit picking verbage. Come on man do better. Admit defeat or pony up something, ANYTHING, that would support your position.

[Osmeric]

Here we go again... you've now circled back to nit picking verbage. Come on man do better. Admit defeat or pony up something, ANYTHING, that would support your position.

Yes yes, dismiss the lie you made. Because, gosh, calling you out on lying is so mean of me. Especially when that lie was central to the point you were trying to make.

[Headayke]

Cata made me quit, I still have lots of game to play as of right now. It may not be great content but enough to keep me playing on alts and main raiding progression. Where as Cata was a complete standstill at firelands and having done Dragon Soul solo, I don't wish that kind of hell on 25 players let alone targeted at LFR players. That sounds disastrous, glad I didn't have to experience it at all as I knew that the borefest called Firelands dailies would only get worse and 3 years later I'm still not wrong. Despite a few good moments in MoP, the game has been pretty disappointing since cataclysm.

[Ramz]

You should consider that there's a difference between what you subjectively have a taste for, and what objectively makes an expansion 'good'. Technically speaking MoP was actually an improvement over the previous expansions(arguments for WotLK aside). The only really BAD part, objectively, about MoP was the 14 months of SoO, and possibly the over-use of reputation grinds.

Well ye, but said reputation girnds offered a very good rewards, not only in matter or items, but also in story continuation. And lastly they improved reputation system by adding extra feature to dungeon system.
Unlike what is now, the grins is just unbearable, rewards are very disappointing, and don't even make sense. Why Arrakoa are selling talbuks?

Let's have a look at Vol'Jin headhunters :
- ignoring that there are no headhunters there (NPCs are named shadow hunters, while clarly having headhunter gear on), they offer another bear mounts (why not bat? or something simply different and fun?)
- they're offering goblin follower - why not headhunter? You can hire iconic blademasters, but not headhunters? Even via tavern you can't hire troll warrior that slightly resembles headhunter.
- Frostwolf gear, and toy.
- Tabard that is generic Horde tabard.

So Ironically this faction could be called "Whathevers" and it wouldn't make any difference, it's just one big inconsistent mess.

[Saverem]

How is WoD worse than Cata or MoP?

WoD has much better PvE and raiding. The only thing it fails on is the PvP. WoD wins worst PvP expansion award thanks mostly to Holinka.

[ashybawls]

I'm scared for Legion